Face Off with Fairy-type Pokémon!

The potent new Pokémon in the XY expansion will make your opponent see pink.

The new Fairy-type Pokémon (and the Trainer cards and Energy that support them) have wasted no time in shaking up the Pokémon TCG world. It’s clear why—not only are there several powerful standalone Fairy-type Pokémon (including the Legendary Pokémon Xerneas and Xerneas-EX), but the various Fairy-type Pokémon also feature strong combinations to help them work well together. Here’s how to develop a Fairy-type deck for maximum success.

Legendary Beginnings

The Legendary Pokémon Xerneas appears on two different cards in the XY expansion, and both are extraordinary foundations for your new Fairy-type deck.

If you’re looking for pure power, Xerneas-EX (97/146 and 146/146) is the better choice. Both of its attacks are powerful and can put your opponent on his or her heels. The high attack costs and the normal Pokémon-EX Prize card penalty can be something of a concern, but you can tackle the first issue with another Fairy-type Pokémon, Wigglytuff (89/146). This Pokémon’s Gather Energy attack lets you search your deck for a basic Energy card and attach it to 1 of your Pokémon. Because this Energy is in addition to the 1 Energy you can play from your hand each turn, your Xerneas-EX will be up and running very quickly.

The other Xerneas (96/146) may not have the flashy HP and damage capability of Xerneas-EX, but it may be just as effective in the long run. For one, its Geomancy attack attaches a Fairy Energy card from your deck to 2 of your Benched Pokémon, getting Energy out on the field quickly. And its Rainbow Spear attack does a solid 100 damage, although you have to discard an Energy from Xerneas every time you use it.

So how do you get all the Energy you’re searching up with Geomancy onto Xerneas so you can attack with Rainbow Spear over and over again? That’s easy—use Aromatisse (93/146). Its Fairy Transfer Ability lets you move Fairy Energy around among your Pokémon during your turn. You can slide all that Energy from Geomancy onto Xerneas to constantly fuel Rainbow Spear! Xerneas and Aromatisse are a perfect match, and a great foundation for a Fairy-type deck.

More Fun Fairy Options

If you’re not inclined to go the Legendary Pokémon route, the XY expansion offers plenty of good Fairy-type Pokémon to build around. For attacking, the other Wigglytuff (90/146) is a solid and easy-to-use card for any deck. Its Balloon Barrage does 20 damage for each Energy attached (not just Fairy Energy), giving you incredible damage potential. Wigglytuff also has the 90-damage Double Edge attack, though that does 10 damage to Wigglytuff as well.

With only 100 HP (a pretty small amount in today’s Pokémon TCG game), Wigglytuff might not be able to withstand a lot of hits and a few points of damage from its own attacks. Fortunately, many Fairy-type Pokémon can help keep your Pokémon healthy. Mr. Mime (91/146) is a solid choice, with its Massage attack healing 60 damage from one of your Benched Pokémon. You can also steer clear of Special Conditions with Slurpuff (95/146), which protects all your Pokémon from Special Conditions as long as they have Fairy Energy attached.

At Play in the Garden

If you’re playing a Fairy-type deck, it’s absolutely essential to include the Fairy Garden (117/146) Stadium card. Fairy Garden removes the Retreat Cost for all Pokémon with Fairy Energy attached. You’ve seen that the Active and Benched Pokémon move and interact a lot in the strategies we’ve outlined. Whether it’s getting a Pokémon into play that draws Energy directly from the deck, or one that heals your Pokémon, Fairy Garden makes it easy to get the right Pokémon ready to attack.

You’ve probably noticed that many of the tactical tools we’ve talked about come from Stage 1 Pokémon—Wigglytuff, Aromatisse, and Slurpuff. And the sooner those Pokémon are in play, the sooner you can unleash your strongest attacks. To facilitate all that evolving, include a few Evosoda (116/146) Item cards in your deck. They let you search your deck for a Pokémon that evolves from one of your Pokémon in play and evolve it right away. This is especially valuable to protect your weaker Basic Pokémon, such as a 50 HP Spritzee or a 60 HP Swirlix, from getting Knocked Out early.

The collection of Fairy-type Pokémon brought together in the XY expansion is a lot of fun, and it’s highly capable of delivering you a lot of victories. We’ve outlined several solid cards and combinations, but the variety of Pokémon and Trainer cards should provide a lot of room for creativity. Have fun building your own fun and strategic Fairy-type Pokémon deck!

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